2 Kings 24-25
Judah and Jerusalem fell to Babylon, according to God’s word through His prophets from even before His people entered the Promised Land. The story of God’s people shows me just how much we need God. It shows me how incapable we are of righteousness on our own. We need God’s grace – bottom line. What I still don’t understand is why He gives it to us at His great expense. Who among us would endure the disrespect, the rejection, and the unfaithfulness from someone we loved that God endures from His people (including us)? Surly His lovingkindness endures forever!!
One other thing that struck me in this passage is 2 Kings 24:4b. God says of Manasseh, “For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.” It just makes me think of how many unborn babies are slaughtered on the altar of convenience. So much innocent blood that fills our land – will God pardon?
Acts 16:1-21
We have been looking at the big debate over the need for circumcision. We have seen that Paul very adamantly asserted that it is not necessary for salvation. Why, then, did he have Timothy circumcised before taking him along to Phrygia and Galatia? Paul was taking Timothy into the area where the dissension had started to deliver to them the decisions from the apostles on the issue. It’s a fine line, but I don’t think Paul was concerned with appearances so much as he was with obstacles. Because Timothy’s father was a Greek, the question of his circumcision would no doubt come up. Paul did not want that detail to stand in the way of the message. He wanted to ensure that he had a receptive audience from the start.
Paul talks about such situations in some of his letters, where he stresses the importance of not being a stumbling block to those of weaker faith. So even though he knew Timothy did not need to be circumcised, he had it done so that Timothy’s uncircumcision wouldn’t become that stumbling block. I, likewise, need to live my life of freedom in Christ in a manner that does not turn away struggling believers.